THE NATURE PRESERVE

»Altogether, Wilderness International’s conservation area comprises five areas. In 2009 and 2010, Wilderness International bought two pieces of land on Porcher Island on the northwest coast of Canada, each about 50 hectares in size, and protected them for the future.
The “Land of the Wolves” and the “Land of the Eagles” lie about 40 kilometers south of the harbor town Prince Rupert, not far from the border to Alaska.
Since 2012, Wilderness International has been buying parcels of land in the Toba Valley, in the middle of the Coastal Mountains of western Canada, 160 kilometers north of the city of Vancouver. Our vision in the Toba Valley is the creation of a great protected Grizzly bear corridor. It all began with the purchase of the "Land of the Grizzlies", more than 50 hectars in size. Soon, we added the “Land of the Ghost Flowers”, 73 hectares in size, located only a few kilometers downriver, and the “Land of the Wapitis” with 80 ha, neighboring it. These forests are known as the "Canadian Amazon" due to the large amount of rainfall and their unique biodiversity.«

Location of the Nature Preserve

Our nature preserves lie on the West Coast
of Canada, in British Columbias’s coastal
rainforest. These forests are known as
the "Canadian Amazon" due to the large
amount of rainfall and their unique
biodiversity. Two of our conservation areas
are located on Porcher Island, near the
border to Alaska, and since 2012, we have
been protecting wilderness in the
Toba Valley, 160km north of Vancouver.

Cooperation with the Cowichan First Nation

Indigenous peoples have lived in this
region for thousands of years. In recent
decades, they had to watch as their homeland
was systematically exploited. The life of the
West Coast First Nations is rich in traditions
that support a sustainable relationship
with nature. Wilderness International
maintains a strong conservation partnership
with the people of the Cowichan, the largest
Canadian West Coast First Nation and
the Gwich'in from the Arctic.

Threat to biodiversity

These forests are the largest contiguous
temperate rainforests on earth. They are
acutely threatened by the timber and mining
industries. Globally, only 25 percent of
all temperate rainforests with their unique
plant and animal life have not been destroyed.
The forests store more carbon dioxide per
hectare than any other forest type on earth
and are very important as a buffer
against climate change.